


The Day Time Stood Still

by MegsChaos



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Dealing with Homophobia, M/M, Plane Crashes, Slice of Life, Worry, almost angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-07
Updated: 2012-07-07
Packaged: 2017-11-09 08:13:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/453287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MegsChaos/pseuds/MegsChaos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was just supposed to be a flight from LA to Tokyo for some time off...</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Day Time Stood Still

“First class passengers for flight 456 for Tokyo, please board now…first class only.”

Ryoma Echizen stretched as he headed for the terminal gates. He was more than ready to get out of LA. AS much fun as traveling for over eight months straight wasn’t, he was ready to go home. Not to mention, he missed his Mitsu-san, not that he would ever tell him. That just wasn’t how their relationship worked.

It would still be nice to see him again and feel him holding him again.

~~

Kunimitsu Tezuka was thrilled to no end. He had gotten all his graduate work done in time so that he would be completely free when Ryoma came home today. He wanted to be able to help him readjust to being back in Japan. To being back home in their apartment. A quick look at the clock showed him he had more than enough time to take a shower and get dinner prepped before he needed to leave for the airport. He smiled absent mindedly at Karupin as he fed the cat and moving towards the shower. 

“It has been too long Ryo-san.” He muttered turning on the hot water for his shower.

~~

“We will be flying through some rough weather folks. Please remain calm and in your seats. Thank you.”

Ryoma rolled his eyes and then asked for more juice and for headphones. He needed to relax, and listening to the man next to him rant about his quarterly report was not doing it for him. This would teach him to fly at the last minute. Whenever he did this kind of stuff happened.

‘Mitsu-san, what I do to make you happy…’

~~

“You have reached Kunimitsu and Ryoma; leave a message if you want us to call you back. Thank you.” BEEP!

“Leave it to of the most stoic people to have the most boring answering machine message. Tezuka, with the storm over the mainland is Ryoma still coming in on time? Kaidou is being an idiot and pestering me. Call us!”

BEEP!

“Kunimitsu, can you please confirm Ryoma’s landing time and gate number? Call your grandmother with it – thank you.”

BEEP!

“Tezuka-buchou, when is Ochibi in? Call me!”

BEEP!

“This is Air Japan calling for a Mr. Kunimitsu Tezuka. We need you to call the airline as soon as possible about a Mr. Ryoma Echizen. Thank you.”

~~

‘Late breaking news, Air Japan confirms the downing of a commercial flight 456 over the mainland. If you think your loved one was on the plane please call the 800 on the screen.”

Tezuka sat staring at the television with wide eyes and stunned features. He slowly reached for the phone and dialed the number.

“This is the emergency line for Air Japan; please state the flight number you are calling in reference to and the passenger you are calling about.”

“Flight 456 out of Los Angeles, Echizen, Ryoma. He – he usually sits near the window.”

There was a pause and the quick fire sound of keys on a keyboard, “Your relationship with the passenger please?” came the calm voice again. Tezuka made a face, this is where there was going to be problems.

“I am his boyfriend.”

There was a pregnant pause, “I am sorry sir. I can only give out the information to a blood relative or legal guardian. Would you like reference number to pass along?”

Fingers tightened around the phone as if punishing the plastic was going to make the worry go away, “I AM family. He is my family; now tell me how he is.”

“Sir, I am sorry. I am only authorized to give out information about passengers to family or legal guardians. I am sorry. Your reference number is 89647941. Thank you.” The call was disconnected and he sat there looking at the hand piece for a moment before hanging up slowly. He closed his eyes and stood up. Time to go and tell his parents…

~~

Nanjirou sat looking at Tezuka like he had lost his mind, “They didn’t tell you anything? That is absurd.”

Rinko had already been dialing the number and was reaching for the piece of paper with the reference number written on it. Her eyes were flashing as she spoke, “Hello? I am calling with a reference number, number 89647941. I am his mother.” There was silence and her face lost its color and she closed her eyes, “There is no news at all? Where can we go? There are three of us. His father, lover and myself.” There was another pause before she attacked, “His lover is family. I realize… You are the one he spoke to earlier? You WILL be flying him out with us, your people will treat him like the worried man he is and you will do it HAPPILY. The name Echizen still means something in the papers and if you think we won’t make a scene out of this because of who my son and husband are and were…”

Nanjirou smirked as he lit a cigarette, “They should never take her on. No one stands a chance against her when she believes what she is fighting for. I should know after all…”

Tezuka smiled tightly and closed his eyes. He hadn’t told anyone else yet. This wasn’t the only family Ryoma had in town anyway. Time to start calling people. He should start with Momoshiro, and then let him pass the word while he got on a plane and prayed to whatever heavenly deity that was listening that Ryoma’s luck would hold out through this.

~~

“Momoshiro-san, I need your help. I need you to pass along some news as soon as possible.”

The spiky haired man looked at a framed picture on his table. In it were two cocky teens with tennis racquets and more arrogance than sense. He took a deep breath and picked up the phone, “Hey Oishi, I need to tell you something. You might want to sit down.”

~~

All he could smell was smoke and it hurt to open his eyes. He remembered the captains telling them to lean forward and to be calm. He remembered thinking that he should call someone, but his cell phone was in his coat – which was in the overhead compartment. He couldn’t tell anyone that it was all going to be okay. Then there was the look of panic on the flight attendants faces as the descent began ad there was an ominous dull booming noise and then his head slammed into the seat in front of him.

“Sir? Sir, can you please squeeze my hand if you can hear me?” the voice sounded far away as if it was coming from another room. But since he could hear them and he could feel his hand, it seemed reasonable enough to squeeze their hand.

“Can you open your eyes?”

They were bleary and it hurt like hell but he could open them. Blinking a few times brought them into focus. Two people in emergency personnel uniforms were hovering over him. Blinking slowly he tried to swallow but found his mouth was dry.

“Sir, we are going to try and move you. Please remain calm.”

He closed his eyes again and let the darkness come back in. Sooner or later someone would realize he needed something to drink.

~~

There was a plane especially for those who had family on the plane that went down. There was hardly had noise during the flight, just hushed conversations. Tezuka was staring out the window when he felt a hand on his arm. He turned to see Nanjirou looking at him like he was trying to figure something out.

“Why do you love my son?”

Tezuka blinked, no one had ever asked that before, “He keeps me on my toes, makes life interesting and make me need to be better so I will be a challenge for him. He is what I want to need.”

Nanjirou smiled in a secretive kind of a way, “That is the good answer boy.” He pointed to his wife who was dozing fitfully beside him, “One day she just sort of was there and I didn’t think about it. Then she went away and I realized how much I had come to need her. I convinced myself that need was bad, so I let her go. Then I realized that wanting to need was good. It makes you keep working for something every day. It keeps the drive going. Keep wanting to need him and you will be fine.”

Tezuka bit off a harsh chuckle, “First let me make sure he is alive so I can kill him for making me worry like this.”

Nanjirou nodded and then looked thoughtful, “Wise decision, I think that is a wise course of action.”

~~

There was no laughter in the sushi shop for the first time in years. There were somber faces gathered around and cell phones sitting in front of every person there. Ryoma had always been the one to put things in perspective and make them seem not illogical. The problem was, when it is his plane that crashed there is no way he can make it seem logical.

Eiji fiddled with his phone and then groaned, “I can’t worry on an empty stomach. I need food Oishi.”

His partner smiled sadly and Takamura got up and went behind the counter. He was making the food when Momoshiro cleared his throat.

“I say that once we find out we go to the mainland and be there for Tezuka. He is going to need support – no matter what the outcome is.” Everyone nodded and Kaidou smirked.

“I think that is the first logical think I have heard you say in years.”

Momoshiro shot him a glare and then grinned half heartedly, “Shut up Kaidou, I don’t have the energy to deal with you today. Tomorrow I will have Ryoma kick your ass.”

There was silence and then Fuji spoke, “He is going to make it, and he has a match in Britain in three weeks. When has Ryoma ever missed a match?” Eiji nodded and smiled brightly.

“I remember him missing practice and Tezuka making all of us look for him, only to find him napping with you Momo-chan.”

There was a ripple as the chuckles seemed to fan out from the lively player with the dancing eyes, “I also remember you two still can’t play double to save your lives.”

Inui burst in right after that and looked worried, “Have we heard…?”

Oishi shook his head and then motioned for him to take a seat there was a moment of silence. Then Inui spoke up.

“I do not have any data on this. I should work on that…”

Everyone shared a look and laughed. The deep laughs that happen when your only choice is to cry or laugh until the need to cry is forgotten. They chose to laugh because Ryoma could never handle tears.

~~

 

There were bright lights and muffled voices and a very annoying beeping sound in his ear. In both of his ears as a matter of fact. He wanted to hit it but his arms felt like lead. He blinked his eyes open and saw he was in some kind of emergency room. His head felt like it was floating while the rest of him was weighted down and he moved his eyes from side to side and it registered he was alone. He was alone with no one in sight to tell him what was going on. His tongue felt dry and heavy in his mouth. He wrinkled his nose. Okay maybe they hadn’t been smart enough to get him something to drink.

Then there was a face over him. It was a male face with heavy eyebrows and a kink in his nose,” So you decided to wake up and join us. Would you like some water?”

He must have seen the eagerness in his eyes and he offered some in a glass as another person he hadn’t seen held his head up. A quick glance showed it was a nurse and not anyone he knew. Once he drank and could feel his tongue starting to go back down to normal size he went after answers.

“Where am I and what happened to me? Where is my family?”

“Your plane crashed. You are in the emergency room. Your family might be on the next flight coming in or on one of the others. Any family that called is on one of three flights coming in. Now why don’t we get your name?”

“Ryoma Echizen, but there is someone else. Someone very important. I need him contacted too! You have to let him know…”

“We will deal with that later. I am sure whoever he is will understand. Now rest.”

AS the two walked away Ryoma laid back and felt his eyes grow heavier, ‘Kunimitsu, I tried…I will try again later. Damned…doc...tors….’

~~

“R-Y-O-M-A, Ryoma. He would have had his wallet on him…”

Tezuka interrupted, “No, he wouldn’t. He hates sitting on it for long flights. It would have been with his jacket in the overhead compartment. We got into trouble on an American flight for doing text messaging. He puts everything up there now to avoid the temptation. He would still be wearing his white FILA hat though.”

The attendant at the hospital was muttering as she flipped through her lists, “Sorry, his name isn’t turning up yet. I get a new list every hour. You are welcome to either wait here or in the cafeteria. There is an announcement when I knew list is here. Please help yourself to anything and let us know if we can help you in anyway.” Nanjirou snorted and turned to go out and smoke. Rinko simply slid bonelessly into a chair.

“Where can I find a phone I can use?” was all Tezuka had to say.

~~

Fuji looked at his phone when it began to ring. Everyone did and he picked it up, “Hello? Tezuka! Do you have any news?” The room fell silent as they all kept their eyes on Fuji. All he did was nodded and make agreeing noises from time to time. Then he closed his eyes and nodded one last time, “That makes sense. See you soon Tezuka, tell them we are coming…”

He hung up the phone and looked them all in the eye, “He needs us. Time for a trip my friends. Our tickets are at the Air Japan ticket counter. Evidentially, there is no news yet, but Mrs. Echizen has decided that all of Ryoma’s family needs to be there when they find him.”

“When? You mean Ochibi is…” Eiji cut in, his eyes wide and worried. The usually hyper young man was quieter today than he had been in awhile. Oishi smiled and put his arm around him.

“Come on now Eiji, how many times have we found him in the past? They simply just don’t’ have the right people there looking is all. I bet by the time we get there he will be there, awake and telling everyone to get out of the way. Now let’s make some calls and meet up at Air Japan in two hours.” Everyone nodded and quickly left as quietly as they had entered. One of their own was in trouble…it didn’t matter they no longer all wore the same uniform – if one of your team is down everyone makes sure they are okay. They were all a team…always.

~~

“In sports news today, Ryoma Echizen is still missing after his plane went down over the mainland of China. He was on his way home for some well deserved rest before heading off to Wimbledon in a few weeks. Our prayers go out to his family and friends and to everyone waiting in the hospital for news. In soccer…”

Tezuka turned the television off and stared at it moodily. All they cared about was whether or not he would up for Wimbledon. All Tezuka cared about was whether or not they found him.

~~

Ryoma was annoyed, those who knew him best knew there were very few who would walk away unscathed – his parents, Momoshiro and Tezuka. Occasionally Eiji – but very often. These doctors were possibly more scatterbrained than that Tomo person who spent all of junior high and high school stalking him. Now that he thought about it, she always seemed to call out ‘RYOMA-SAMAAAA!!!!’ at the worst possible times. Grrr… Now where the hell was a hospital employee of ANY kind to tell him where the hell his family was and give him a damn phone so he could call Tezuka? In his mind’s eye he could see the legal work sitting on their kitchen table so that they could have medical authority over each other. He wished like hell he hadn’t up tit off now. God he hoped his parent’s had remembered to call him. AS long as he was kept updated nothing really rattled him – but this was all very much out of his control and he was probably not doing so well with it.

~~

There was a harassed clerical staff member running copies of the survivor lists and she didn’t notice when one with only three names on it fall to the ground. She all but threw the stack at a nurse and went back to answering the phone. The nurse handed the paper to the receptionist.

“Attention! Will all those waiting for the newest names list please come down to the reception counter on the ground floor. Please bring a piece of personal identification. All persons waiting for the newest names list please come down to the reception counter on the ground floor.”

~~

“What do you mean they still don’t know where Ochibi is? He is a famous tennis player! He doesn’t do well in hospitals – he tends to get irritable. He would never…”

Oishi pulled Eiji towards the cab as he talked on his cell phone to Tezuka. The others were all exhausted; none of them were dealing well with this. This was not supposed to happen to one of them.

Kaidou snagged the phone from Eiji, “Tezuka-san, do you need anything?” There was a laugh an eye roll, “That we can do. See you as soon as we can.” He hung up and looked at the group, “We need to find food, and he needs real food.”

Inui leaned forward in the first of the two cabs, “Best sushi take out place on the way to the hospital. Not only do we bring sanity now we have an 83.7% chance of becoming caterers.”

~~

There was silence in their corner of the waiting room. Then there was noise, “Hey Tezuka! Could you find a worse waiting room to hide in?”

The young man looked up a true smile came to his lips there were his friends. There was his link to Ryoma. Eiji smiled as he ran and grabbed onto him, “We brought you REAL food.” He looked at Ryoma’s parent’s, “You both too. Any news?”

Tezuka looked at his watch and made a face, “Not yet and there isn’t another list for about half an hour.”

Oishi smiled and made everyone sit down, “Just enough time to eat then. WE can’t be seeing him for the first time on empty stomachs. Now, Inui will you help me set everything up?”

~~

“What do you mean you haven’t heard from my family? They aren’t the most patient of people and I asked for a phone over an hour ago.” Ryoma massaged his temples and glared at the doctor, “I need to call my boyfriend. If I don’t have a phone in five minutes I am getting up and finding one myself.”

The doctor glared back, “We are rather busy. There were more injured than you. WE still have some that have not been identified. You will have to be patient.”

“Get me a phone and I will you lazy man. Now five minutes or I will go hunting on my own.”

The doctor glared and stormed out leaving Ryoma with a smug look on his face. He bet he would have his phone soon.

~~

There was a doctor muttering to the receptionist about getting a patient a phone when Inui was walking back to the waiting room, “…Get the boy in 5607 a phone will you? I am sick of listening to him whine.”

“Who is in 5607?” she asked making a note.

“An Echizen Ryoma.”

Inui stopped turned and looked at the doctor in shock, “Excuse me sir, did you say there is an Echizen Ryoma in a room up there?”

The doctor nodded, “Yes I do, and do you know him?”

“There are a lot of us waiting to know if he had been found yet or not. No one ever came out with his name. If you will excuse me I will get his parents.” The doctor nodded and then turned on the receptionist.

“He has been up there for over fifteen hours, he has been a pain in the ass and we had his family here the whole damned time?!” she held up her lists in defense.

“He isn’t on them sir! I swear!”

“You have word on my son?” came a deep voice; the two looked up to see ten people looking at them expectantly. The lead was a large man who was not looking too pleased.

“Sir there was mix-up and your son is up on the fifth floor in room 5607. I have been his doctor since he was brought in. If you would like to step over here I will be more than happy to go over his case with you.”

Nanjirou shook his head, “Everyone here is his family and they can all hear it. I insist on it.”

THE doctor simply raised an eyebrows and nodded, “He suffered a head trauma and has a severe concussion. He has burns on his arms and lower legs. Mostly he is just uncomfortable. I hate to pry but is there a Kunimitsu Tezuka here?”

Tezuka stepped forward, “I am him. There is something I can do for you?”

“If you can make him be quiet and rest then I will worship you.”

There was a chuckle and he smirked at the doctor, “He gets that way. He is in room 5607? Thank you.”

~~

Ryoma sat glaring moodily into space, damning the doctor to hell. Now he was remembering why he hated to travel – people didn’t have brains that worked and they pissed him off. Where was Tezuka when he needed him? In Japan worried probably. 

“I could make him stop worrying if someone would bring me a damned phone!”

There was a knock on the door, “I hear you are trying to get a hold of someone. Anyone I know of?”

Ryoma smiled a true smile, there walking into his room was his family. Whether he admitted to claiming all of them or not! His lover came and stood next to him and leaned over and kissed him, “Now that we know you are alive, will you stop harassing the doctor?”

Ryoma quirked a brow, “Who was it that called the all quacks who were dropped on their heads too often as children?”

“There is a 100 percent chance that was you, Tezuka.” Chimed in Inui as the regulars gathered on one side and his parents were on the other. Rinko smiled at her son with watery eyes.

“If you ever scare me like that again…I don’t know what I will do to you but you will not like it. At all.” Ryoma smiled softly and let his mother hold him tightly.

“I thought I told you no dying till you won the Grand Slam boy.” Chimed in his father, “I think you were trying to welsh because you know you can’t handle it.”

Ryoma laughed out loud, “Old man, the day I welsh on that bet is the day you stop reading porn in the temple. You will be paying up.”

Tezuka and Rinko shared a look and shook their heads. Eiji had had enough and he hopped up onto the bed and looked at him seriously, “Ochibi, never scare us again! That was not very nice of you.”

Ryoma looked at Eiji and grinned sheepishly, “Next time I will tell the plane not to crash because you said so okay Kikumaru-sempai?” Eiji nodded and then smiled brightly and lunged for hi9m and hugged him.

They all stayed until the nurse came to inform them that it was time to go. Only Tezuka stood firm, “I am staying.”

“Sir, I am sorry only spouses and guardians are allowed.”

Ryoma bristled, “He stays or I leave.”

“Sir, you can’t do that. It is against policy…”

Everyone watched in some sort of amazed horror as Ryoma got up and tried to stand only to fall against Tezuka. He looked at the nurse defiantly, “Get my clothes I am leaving.”

“I am getting a doctor and a sedative.” She said huffily and left. He groaned and fell a little more into Tezuka.

“You are being a fool you know.” He told Ryoma conversationally. Ryoma nodded and looked up at his still taller lover.

“I know, but I mean it. Every word.”

Then a harried doctor came in, “Mr. Echizen, I got your family, friends and lover in here for you. You have a phone. What is it now?” His tone conveyed his impatience with the tennis star that was glaring back just as hard.

“Tezuka stays or I go. I am not staying here alone. There is no way in hell. I am going get my clothes.”

“Mr. Tezuka…are you willing to stay?” at his affirmative nod the doctor sighed,” I will sign off on it. Now get your butt in that bed before I get the restraints.”

“Kinky…” muttered Fuji and then he smiled at everyone when they looked at him, “Like you all weren’t thinking the same thing!”

~~

They had brought him a cot. He had taken the pillow and the blanket and joined Ryoma in the bed. They had ordered them to sleep…so they would wake him up every hour to make sure he was still alive. What they didn’t get was he had to be there – holding him for the same reasons. He needed to know he was really okay and this wasn’t something else his mind had concocted to get him through. He had dozed on the plane and though Ryoma had been there. It was not a feeling he wanted to repeat.

“Ryoma, I think I am going to travel with you for a bit.”

The tennis Pro snuggled as close as his bandages would allow. His head was tucked under Tezuka’s chin and he was safe. He could smell his aftershave and not smoke. He was warm for the first time since the crash. He was home. Right here in this foreign hospital he was home. He smiled and slept. Tezuka stayed awake that night and just his breath sooth his nerves.

His family was okay. That was all that mattered in the end. Ryoma was safe and was going to be fine. He was going to be able to play in the Grand Slam and he would be brilliant and then he would come back to their apartment and things would go back to normal.

“Never do this to me again, idiot.”

There was a sleepy snort, “You sleep too, besides who thought I left him behind? Didn’t we promise to see life through together? You need more faith in me Tezuka.”

“Quit falling from the sky in fiery plane crashes and I will work on it. Deal?”

“Deal, just hold me okay?”

They fell asleep wrapped up in each other and sharing a pillow. The moonlight casting them in an almost ethereal glow. Rinko popped her head in just to see him and make sure it wasn’t some kind of a joke.

“Take good care of each other…”


End file.
